Every fifth block, some unsuspecting students sit down at the tables near the Wall of Honor to do their homework. Soon after, a staff member will approach them.
‘You’re not allowed to be here. Don’t you have someplace to be?’
This plays out often and is especially evident on Tuesdays when teachers are in fifth block meetings.
The library becomes noisy as tables and couches are filled, despite its original purpose as a study area. If we want to respect that original purpose, it’s not an ideal space for a group of friends to hang out and chat. Even the cafeteria feels awkward to many students; no matter how much room there is, it will always be the place where we eat lunch, not study.
But where else can students go without getting kicked out? What happens to those who need to stay at school to pick up a sibling later or can’t get a ride home from their parents until three p.m.? What if they are an athlete and have a match?
Right now, the library and cafeteria are the only public spaces students can flock to during fifth block, which is the reason why these spaces become crowded or inefficient.
While they are a nice start, there isn’t enough space to hold the students who want to stay after but don’t really have anywhere to go.
Imagine if at least some of our activities could be held in one communal space. Right now, a lot of people don’t go to fifth block because they feel like they need to have a reason to stay. Having a communal space for students to study together, hang around after school, play games, and interact will inspire them to use fifth block resources to their fullest.
A shared communal space will also solve the issue of too many separate pockets of activities. Students find it difficult to attend multiple clubs when they’re all around the school. Consolidating the space will encourage inter-club collaboration and prevent students from feeling isolated.
According to an article by the Project of Public Spaces, having a public space for students to connect can encourage them to interact with their peers despite having different classes, experiences, and interests.
The Strath Haven bubble is a microcosm of our society. In the same way political and socioeconomic divides prevent communities from interacting, the forced separation of our pockets of clubs, academics, and hangout time draw invisible lines.
School is supposed to teach us how to establish interpersonal connections just as much as academics—skills essential to becoming active, engaged members of society.
Even the cities many of us will one day call home are defined by their communal areas. Philadelphia would not be Philadelphia without the Reading Terminal Market, Fairmount Park, or Broad Street seconds after Super Bowl LIX’s final score is announced.
In the same way those areas unite Philadelphia, we need an area for students to connect and strengthen Haven’s community.
It should be acceptable for students to stay during fifth block even if they don’t know what they are going to accomplish yet. Making school space more accessible will inspire students to branch out and make use of other fifth block resources.
In college, there are more opportunities to interact with new peers because of these flexible after-class times and sociable public spaces.
In our high school, some students will never have a chance to meet people outside of their grade or people with different interests just because their schedule doesn’t allow for it. Regardless of whether we use the time for socializing or productivity, fifth block is student time. It’s also the only time of day we can socialize without the constraints of A-B-C lunch.
Reset the blue couches back out on the second floor. Reopen the tables by the Wall of Honor or the auditorium. Give seniors a chance to leave Strath Haven with the courage to use communal spaces as an opportunity to experience a diverse environment outside their comfort zone.
Students should feel that they are welcome to and should stay after. It’s time for Strath Haven to rethink the way we use our spaces and create an environment that encourages collaboration rather than isolation.
The unsigned editorial represents the opinion of the Editorial Board, which consists of the majority of student editorial staff listed on this page.
